


my heart in two

by ymnkn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Sharing a Bed, teen to be safe but i think it’s more gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 14:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20676683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ymnkn/pseuds/ymnkn
Summary: Sokka laughs, and he doesn’t let go of Zuko’s hand, and Zuko doesn’t let go of Sokka’s hand, and.Zuko. Zuko thinks he might be okay with this.





	my heart in two

_ thirty-seven days before comet  _

“Not up to anything, right, Sokka?” Zuko asks, standing behind Sokka.

Sokka startles, jumping back and staring at Zuko. He groans. “Jeez, give a man some warning.” He sighs. “I’m going to find my dad, okay? Happy now?”

Zuko crosses his arms, turns his nose up. “I’m  _ never _ happy.”

Sokka snorts and turns back to Appa. “Listen. I have to do this, Zuko. The invasion idea was my plan, and it’s  _ my _ fault they got caught. It’s my fault my dad is in prison, and I'm going to save him. You can’t stop me. I have to,” Sokka pauses, frowns, searching for the right words, “I have to regain my honor,” he settles on. He stares stonily at Zuko.

Zuko raises his eyebrow. “I get it. Trust me. I’m going with you.”

Sokka groans again as he climbs onto Appa’s back. “No, you don’t get it. I have to do this alone. This isn’t on you.”

“You really think you’re going to have Appa get you there and back?” Zuko asks, a bite in his words. “Prisons don’t have bison daycares, you realize?”

Sokka grits his teeth, petting Appa’s back as the bison sleeps.

Zuko grabs Sokka by the sleeve. “We can take my war balloon,” he says, much softer than intended, and he stares at the back of Sokka’s head.

Sokka breathes deeply.

“Are you sure you want to come with me?”

“More sure than I’ve been about any of the decisions I’ve made this entire year.”

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon,” Sokka says, hours later. Zuko looks up, blinks, looks into Sokka’s eyes.

“That’s rough, buddy,” he responds, and they both go quiet for the rest of the trip.

_ thirty-six days before the comet _

“Hey, Sokka,” Zuko says, poking the boy roughly. “Wake up. I see it.”

Sokka wakes up easily, rubs his eyes, and stares over the basket of the balloon.

“Oh.”

“There’s enough steam to cover us. We can get in.”

Minutes pass, and the balloon starts lowering for seemingly no reason, and Zuko rushes to try to fix it.

“Shit, Sokka, it isn’t working, balloon’s going down.”

“It’s as hot as your fire out there,” Sokka explains, “fuck, yeah, it isn’t going to work here.”

When they make onto the island, Zuko curses. “How are we going to get out?”

“We’ll figure something out. I kind of expected this when you told me about the island.”

Zuko swallows nothing, and he nods. “What’s the plan?”

“Find my dad and figure out a way to get out of here.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Thought you were supposed to be the plan guy?”

“Well, my last few plans haven’t worked out so well. I’m going with the flow this time.” Sokka smiles guiltily. “Sorry, man. You didn’t have to come with, you know.”

Zuko sighs.

“I know.”

_ thirty-five days before comet _

“I’m so sorry, Zuko, I’m so so sorry,” Sokka whispers to the prince when they exit the cooler. They are outside, watching some of the prisoners escape.

Suki doesn’t say a word to either of them about the situation, just frowns, and pats them both on the back.

“I’ll see you inside. Better hurry.”

She walks away.

Zuko looks at Sokka, and he grimaces. “You look horrible, buddy. And this is important. This is your dad. So . . . get some sleep tonight, okay? Let’s go in before we’re seen, come on.”

Sokka nods, and they go inside, go their separate ways, and Zuko’s heart aches.

He enters a new cooler, to avoid any ideas the Warden or guards might have about him using the cooler to escape, and he waits.

And he waits.

_ thirty-four days before comet _

“Sounds like a crazy fishing trip,” Aang says dubiously.

Toph sighs. “Yeah, yeah, whatever! Tell me you at least got some meat, Sokka?!”

Sokka chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, got some great meat!”

Zuko scoffs, glancing at him questioningly.

“The meat of friendship and fatherhood!”

“Hah? Fatherhood? What, you got some poor girl pregnant?” Toph mutters, stomping away. “Go on a real fishing trip already, jeez! What’s it take to get some  _ meat _ around here?! Damn vegetarians!”

Moments pass, Hakoda reveals himself, and Katara questions the boys.

Sokka grins. “We might’ve maybe possibly gone to a maximum security Fire Nation prison and busted a bunch of people out. No big deal! Uh, easy peasy!”

Sokka sleeps outside that night.

_ thirty days before comet _

“Hey,” Sokka whispers in the middle of the night, knocking lightly at Zuko’s open door. Zuko sits up in his bed, a twitch of his fingers lighting candles around the room.

“What’s wrong?” he asks drowsily, a slur to his words as he wakes himself up.

Sokka’s face lights up red, and he taps his fingers on his thighs. “Um, I was just, um.”

“Yes?” Zuko asks, patient.

Sokka closes a single eye, cringing as he speaks in a blur of words, “CanIsleepinyourroomtonight?”

Zuko blinks, and slowly the candles go out one by one until only one remains lit, on his nightstand.

He lifts his blanket. “Bed’s big enough for two,” is all he has to say for Sokka to grin from ear to ear and rush over to get under the covers.

The last candle goes out.

Sokka doesn’t say a word. Zuko doesn’t say a word. He is almost asleep when Sokka fidgets in his spot beside Zuko.

“Hey,” he says, even quieter now that they are in bed together. “Can I talk to you?”

“Mhmm,” Zuko answers, trying to keep his eyes open. He focuses on Sokka’s eyes, his blue, blue eyes. He focuses on the glow made by the moonlight on Sokka’s eyes.

“I feel like such a kid right now,” Sokka mutters, “but, I couldn’t sleep. Can’t sleep. I don’t know. Everyone was with me, they were all sleeping, it was comfortable, and I’m tired. But.”

Zuko doesn’t say anything, waiting for Sokka to continue. He chews on his lip to keep himself up.

“I can’t stop thinking about what’s going to happen. I mean, we all know the comet makes firebenders stronger, right? So what—what if they’re stronger than us? We lost when they didn’t even have the firebending, and my dad was in prison because of my mistakes. The rest of the Southern Water Tribe warriors still are. What if we aren’t strong enough?”

“Aang and I are firebenders, too,” Zuko says simply.

Sokka goes silent for a minute, maybe longer. Zuko doesn’t count.

“You’re right,” he says, voice soft, and Zuko can tell the exact moment the Water Tribe boy falls asleep.

Another minute, and Zuko is asleep too.

He sleeps past the sunrise, sleeps into late morning, and Sokka wakes him up with a warning that Aang is coming.

Zuko tries not to think of the night before.

_ twenty-eight days before comet _

“Zuko! Hey,” Sokka shouts, grinning as he sprints over to where Zuko is sat, instinctively moving all the way to his right side so he can see and hear him. Zuko ignores the warmth blooming in his chest and belly, and he looks up. “Come with me,” Sokka says, reaching out for Zuko’s hand.

Zuko doesn’t hesitate. He grabs Sokka’s hand and stands to follow him.

Sokka leads him to the edge of the forest that the Air Temple is beside. He grins wider, looks at Zuko, and tightens his grip on the firebender’s hand. And they  _ run. _

“Sokka what—” Zuko asks, half frowning, trying not to be infected by Sokka’s contagious smile. “Where are we—oh!” Sokka jumps, pulling Zuko over a log with him.

Zuko’s face warms with the knowledge that Sokka can lift him so easily, with  _ one fucking hand,  _ while running like this.

“Almost there!” Sokka whisper-shouts, beginning to slow down to a walking pace. “Okay,” he says, “close your eyes.”

Zuko does so, wondering when exactly he began to trust Sokka so much when just last month the boy was trying to kill him.

Sokka laughs, pulling Zuko along carefully around rocks and sticks, and he comes to a stop a minute later. “Okay. Open your eyes.”

Zuko opens his eyes and sees—

“Oh.”

A lake. Surrounded by flowers and bushes and. Zuko blanks on words for the way the scene looks but . . . it looks . . .

Safe. Comfortable. Easy.

He swallows. “So, um, why’d you bring me here?” Zuko asks, the warmth of Sokka’s hand distracting him from his thoughts.

Or, creating new thoughts.

He wonders if these thoughts are any better to have about his  _ best friend _ in a situation like this. Or any situation, really.

“Oh,” Sokka says, his hand getting warmer, “well, I just thought. You might like it. I don’t really, um, know if I want to share this view with the others? I don’t . . . ”

Sokka bites on his lip, and Zuko’s breath stops for a moment, and he stares.

“I don’t know if I trust anyone else with a place as beautiful as this. I don’t know if that makes sense, it's just how my brain is rationalizing it and that’s not to say I trust you more, even though I think I do, but I don’t want to share this with anyone else and it just feels.” Sokka takes a deep breath. “It just feels safer to share things like this with you than with anyone else. I don’t know why.”

Zuko blinks, nods, and smiles.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Sokka. You don’t ever have to explain yourself to me. Well, unless I ask you to. Then that would be nice, but, um, you get the point. I think.”

Sokka laughs, and he doesn’t let go of Zuko’s hand, and Zuko doesn’t let go of Sokka’s hand, and.

Zuko. Zuko thinks he might be okay with this.

_ twenty-five days until comet _

They made it a habit for Sokka to sneak into Zuko’s bed in the middle of the night over the last few days, and only Hakoda seems to have caught on. He catches Zuko’s eye and smiles every morning he catches the boys leaving Zuko’s room and today—well.

Sokka storms into Zuko’s room without knocking, slams the door shut, and slides down to the floor with a groan.

His face is dark dark dark red, and Zuko does nothing but raise an eyebrow in question and light another candle.

“My dad,” Sokka starts, but shuts his mouth and purses his lips. “My dad is  _ stupid, _ Zuko,” he says in a serious tone, although he has a childish expression and has his arms crossed.

Zuko pats the bed next to where he is sat. “What happened?”

Sokka stands up, only to land face first in the pillow when he goes to Zuko’s bed, feet over Zuko’s thighs.

He groans again, and it is Zuko’s turn to blush. He ignores his thoughts, keeping his eyes on the back of Sokka’s head.

“He thinks we’re sleeping together,” Sokka says into the pillow. His voice is muffled through the cotton.

Zuko frowns. “I mean, we kind of are?”

Sokka sits up immediately. “In the other way, Zuko! He gave me—”

Sokka cuts himself off, reaches into his pocket, and throws a paper bag at Zuko’s chest, only to shove his face back into the pillow.

Zuko opens the bag, and stares half-comprehendingly at the contents.

“Is this a bad time for me to mention I’m allergic to latex?”

“Oh my god, Zuko.”

_ twenty-two days until comet _

Sokka lays awake in Zuko’s bed—although he’s willing to argue that it’s his bed too, at this point. It is late. The birds will be out soon, and even Toph is sleeping deeply at this hour.

And still, he is awake. Staring at the ceiling.

He wonders what Zuko was thinking when he first invited Sokka into his bed.

_ Big enough for two, _ but if they tried to put a pillow between them one might fall off. Big enough for two, but if either was a restless sleeper, he might fall off. Big enough for two, but the position feels so intimate.

Big enough for two, but sometimes Sokka feels like they are melting into each other.

He stares at the ceiling.

Sokka is in love with Zuko.

. . . Sokka is in love with Zuko.

He doesn’t sleep.

“Sokka,” Zuko mutters hours later, when the sun begins to rise, “have you slept at all?”

“No,” Sokka admits, and Zuko doesn’t tell him to go to sleep.

He knows Sokka won’t.

_ twenty-one days until comet _

“Zuko, do you know where Sokka is? We can’t find him anywhere in the temple, and he didn’t leave a note. Normally, I wouldn’t ask you, but I’m getting worried,” Katara tells the Prince.

Zuko frowns. “I haven’t seen him since this morning, but I have a feeling I know where he is. Don’t expect us back until tonight,” he says, dashing off.

“Wait, what about Aang’s training?!”

“Huh?! Katara,  _ come _ on! Don’t—”

Zuko can’t hear them anymore, deep into the forest and he dodges logs and plants everywhere for tens of minutes until.

He comes to a walking pace, and he walks up to the lake. He spares a glance at his reflection—he flinches at the sight—and he looks around the lake for Sokka.

He doesn’t have to look for long before he is sitting beside the sleeping boy.

Zuko stares at him, and stares, and Zuko lets his thoughts be for once.

Zuko lets himself think about Sokka in a not-so-platonic way, and he waits by the lake for hours.

Hours.

When Sokka finally opens his eyes, the sky is beginning to turn all sorts of shades of pink and orange and red, and yet he stares at Zuko.

“Zuko,” he says, and Zuko doesn’t answer, just stares back. Sokka continues, “I think I’m in love with you.”

Zuko lays back beside Sokka and closes his eyes.

“Yeah. Me too.”

Sokka rolls onto his side. “Zuko?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Zuko turns toward Sokka. He doesn’t respond, just leans forward and presses his lips against Sokka’s.

Sokka wonders how Zuko’s lips are so soft when he’s never once seen him put anything on them, never once seen Zuko take care of his lips, but. But his lips are soft, and Sokka’s are chapped but Zuko doesn’t seem to mind, so neither does he.

Sokka pulls away first, and when he opens his eyes he sees Zuko’s eyes still closed, and the Prince leans forward again, and he speaks so softly that Sokka almost doesn’t hear him.

And yet.

“I’m in love with you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> so.....whoops. leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed?? i guess i’m just obsessed with writing about these two falling in love? that’s okay though bc according to the comments on my other fic, people like to read about them falling in love too. also can we talk about how i was so desperate for zukka fics that i started writing a bunch of my own. lmao.
> 
> made a zukka server for ppl 19 and under if anyone’s interested!! [here's the post!](https://ymnkn.tumblr.com/post/187802196424/hey-i-made-a-zukka-discord-server)


End file.
